COMMENTARY | The responses to Justin Bieber smoking weed can broadly be categorized into several opinions. There’s the people who are teetotalers that proclaim that today’s youth do not have any morals. There’s those who say that “kids will be kids” and say we should look overlook such infractions in the short term. There’s the die hard Justin Bieber fans who are excusing of any of the pop star’s actions and seek to blame any other person but Justin Bieber. In order to get Justin Bieber to stop smoking marijuana, some of those fans have even taken to cutting themselves and posting the pictures on Twitter with the hash tags #cutforbieber and #cuttingforbieber.

Then there’s those who seem to support legal marijuana and thus proclaim that Justin Bieber smoking weed is not a problem. But why does supporting legal marijuana automatically entail disregard for the current United States laws?

“I knew [Bieber] was smoking before he knew it. Because of his music. Because of his dancing. The guy is a phenom … It’s not just his looks. It’s his talent. And you don’t get talent like that by drinking alcohol. The herb, man! The herb!”

I’ve lived in Europe for years. I personally think that the United States should tune its fleet of automobiles for faster speed and implement a high way system similar to the German autobahn. Of course, as previously reported by The Inquisitr, such high speeds would require a transportation system overhaul and thus likely higher taxes. Texas has even implemented a section of highways that provide a top speed of 85 mph. But just because I support an autobahn-like transportation system does that give me the right to break the law by speeding?

In the same manner, if the law of the land currently has marijuana usage and/or possession being illegal, how does that give you the right to use pot anyway and excuse Justin Bieber smoking weed? Consuming marijuana is not immoral in of itself, but breaking the law certainly is. The best plan of action would be to petition the government for change instead of just grumbling and breaking the law in protest. There of course is the legally gray areas where state and Federal laws conflict on marijuana. People will argue over how the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights should be interpreted, and in this case I say let your convictions guide you.

According to Perez Hilton, a rapper called The Game has a similar message and says that Justin Bieber should look into getting a marijuana card that legally allows him to smoke marijuana in California:

“Let’s keep it real. There’s a lot of people in high positions … who smoke a little weed sometimes. I’m not saying it’s okay … but [Bieber] made a mistake. Forgive him. Let him go through the growing pains of his life.”

After all, the current California marijuana laws would have Justin Bieber serving six months in jail, or at least require participation in a diversion program, if he was in the possession of more than an ounce of weed. For the Bieb the monetary fee is pocket change. But I also have to wonder what possible medical reason Justin Bieber could have for smoking weed; depression from being chased by paparazzi?

What do you think about legal marijuana and the reactions to Justin Bieber smoking weed?

PRO

http://youtu.be/qKgY5eOlhEc

CON

This article is entirely the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Inquisitr.com.

"The best plan of action would be to petition the government for change instead of just grumbling and breaking the law in protest."

The federal government shows no sign of allowing for the medical use of marijuana, even though 80% of the population wants to legalize medical marijuana. Numerous bills for marijuana law reform have been introduced into Congress, only to never see a hearing. The feds don't even want to discuss industrial hemp.

Alcohol prohibition was not repealed by 'petitioning for change'; it was repealed because millions of Americans disobeyed the law.

"Consuming marijuana is not immoral in of itself, but breaking the law certainly is. "

By your logic, Rosa Parks deserved to be dragged off that bus and thrown in jail. Considering that marijuana laws were conceived, born and nurtured from lies, greed and racism, what's the affinity for such a law?

I stopped reading at the misguided autobahn analogy. If you had your own private autobahn on your property, why would the government ban you from driving on it at whatever speed you chose? Well, they wouldn't. It is perfectly legal, and not unheard of. The government can tell someone not to smoke in the middle of a public freeway, but in your own home they simply do not have that right.

It was never about protecting us from "marihuana", it was about eliminating the competition posed by industrial hemp to wood pulp, petrochemical fiber and plastics. The proof is in the fact that industrial hemp is still illegal to grow.

Two important distinctions between what the anchor said in the above MoxNews (MSNBC) video and what SAM actually advocates:

1) SAM advocates a civil penalty for marijuana possession AFTER mandatory a mandatory visit to a 're-education' facility. This will be enforced with the threat of jail or property seizure, which is no different from what the government does now.

2) Patrick Kennedy does not advocate making marijuana available to cancer patients. He wants THC and cannabinoids to be available only in expensive pharmaceutical from, which is no different from what we have now.

Legally regulated (manufacture, distribution and consumption) of marijuana is coming to a state near you in 2013:

CALIFORNIA

“These laws just don't make sense anymore. It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users… these are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people.”.
—Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (preparing the way for Governor Jerry Brown to initiate proceedings to legalize and regulate marijuana through the state legislature).

MAINE

Maine's legislature is moving on a legalization-and-regulation bill that could bring the state $8 million a year in new revenue.

''The people are far ahead of the politicians on this. Just in the past few weeks we've seen the culture shift dramatically.''.
—Rep. Diane Russell of Portland, District 120 (Occupation: Public Relations Consultant).

NEW YORK

"Today, marijuana possession is the number one arrest in New York City." citing the harmful outcomes of these arrests – racial disparities, stigma, fiscal waste, criminalization – and calling on the legislature to act: “It’s not fair, it’s not right. It must end, and it must end now.”.
—New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

NEVADA

"Thinking we're not going to have it is unrealistic. It's just a question of how and when".
—Assemblyman Richard (Tick) Segerblom of Las Vegas, elected to the Nevada State Senate in 2012.

OREGON

"We have decades of evidence that says prohibition does not work and it's counterproductive. it's a matter of dollars and common sense. There's a source of revenue that's reasonable that is rational that is the right policy choice for our state. We are going to get there on legalization."
—Peter Buckley, co-chair of the Oregon state legislature's budget committee.

PENNSYLVANIA

“Like alcohol, legalization and regulation will make marijuana safer. Each year we not only waste a similar amount ($325.36 million), we leave several hundred million dollars on the table in taxes that we do not collect because marijuana is illegal, rather than regulated and taxed. This horrific policy must end. It is a moral imperative that Pennsylvania wake up and end prohibition now.”.
—Democrat State Sen. Daylin Leach, while announcing plans to introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania.

RHODE ISLAND

Rhode Island is also expected to legally regulate marijuana through the state legislature instead of a popular referendum.

''Our prohibition has failed, Legalizing and taxing it, just as we did to alcohol, is the way to do it.''.
—Rep. Edith Ajello, chairs the House Committee on Judiciary and is a member of the House Oversight Committee.

VERMONT

In November 2012, the state's Democratic governor, Peter Shumlin, cruised to re-election while strongly backing marijuana decriminalization. And the city of Burlington passed a resolution in November 2012 calling for an end to prohibition – with 70 percent support.

ALASKA

Most Alaskans already have a clear view of things from their own back garden. Personal use and possession of Marijuana in Alaskan homes has been effectively legal since 1975.

We all know that most of the successful musicians use marijuana, but I wonder if we're all aware that it's also used by the MAJORITY OF SPORTS PEOPLE EVERYWHERE?

"Everybody thinks that if you did this random testing you’d catch so many guys on PEDs. No, you’d catch more of the guys on marijuana. So [we've got] 475 guys under contract and 400 of them would be out with marijuana [suspensions]."
—Dana White, president of the UFC.

"At least a good 50 [US] Olympic athletes use marijuana regularly before they stop in time for testing."
—Stephany Lee

"I just let him know that most of the players in the league use marijuana and I have and do partake in smoking weed in the offseason".
—Josh Howard, forward for the Dallas Mavericks. Howard admitted to smoking marijuana on Michel Irvin's ESPN show.

"You got guys out there playing high every night. You got 60% of your league on marijuana. What can you do?"
—Charles Oakley (Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets).

"I personally know boxers, body builders, cyclists, runners and athletes from all walks of life that train and compete with the assistance of marijuana,".
—WWE wrestler Rob Van Dam.

* Even many of the best cricket players of all time, like Phil Tufnell and Sir Ian Botham, have admitted to regularly using marijuana to deal with stress and muscle aches. In 2001, half of South Africa's cricket team was caught smoking marijuana with the team physiotherapist. They were celebrating a championship victory in the Caribbean.

And here's just a few of those many highly motivated athletes whose drug of choice is cannabis/marijuana:

* Usain Bolt, the 2008 World Record holder of the 100 and 200 meter sprint.

* Randy Moss, NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007), and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17, in 1998). Moss has founded, and financed many charitable endeavors including the the Links for Learning foundation, formed in 2008.

* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leader in points scored (38,387), games played, minutes played, field goals made, field goal attempts, blocked shots and defensive rebounds. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season MVP Awards. He has a prescription to smoke marijuana in California, which he says he uses to control nausea and migraine headaches. He has been arrested twice for marijuana possession.

Yep, at the cusp of an impending Hemp renaissance, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 – which effectively made the cultivation of hemp illegal – was due largely to the efforts of the following businessmen/entities:

Andrew Mellon – As chairman of the Mellon Bank he was Dupont's primary investor and treasurer (1921-1932). He was also responsible for the appointment, in 1930, of his future nephew-in-law, Harry J. Anslinger, as head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN).

William Randolph Hearst – Competition from hemp was a threat to Hearst's paper-manufacturing company, and he believed that hemp's renaissance would also significantly lower the value of his land (enormous timber acreage in both California and Mexico, and best suited for conventional pulp). He used his publishing empire (28 newspapers in 18 key American cities with an estimated 20 million readers) to run stories claiming that marijuana was responsible for everything from murder to loose morality.

The DuPont family – In 1935, two years before the prohibitive hemp tax act, DuPont developed a new synthetic fiber, nylon, a direct competitor to hemp in the textile and cordage industries. DuPont was also in the process of patenting a new sulfuric acid process for producing wood-pulp paper. According to the company's own records, wood-pulp products accounted for more than 80% of all DuPont's railroad car loadings for the next 50 years.

For their billion dollar dynasties to remain intact, these unconscionable tycoons decided that hemp had to go. Taking an obscure Mexican slang word, “marihuana,” they vehemently tarnished the good image and phenomenal history of one of God's most loving gifts to humanity. Undoubtably, one of their most effective tools was the use of Goebel-esque cinematography – Films like ‘Marihuana: Assassin of Youth’ (1935) ‘Marihuana: The Devil’s Weed’ (1936) and ‘Reefer Madness’ (1936). Using such underhanded tactics, these industrialists were able to swoon an unsuspecting American public into helping them completely kill off the competition.

How is smoking weed a mistake… Drinking alcohol is a mistake if anything. All of you fucking 10 year old Disney bitches are brain washed by the government and your soccer moms that marijuana is some kind of horrible mind controlling drug that ruins your life forever if even touched. The truth is…It's not. It does more good than harm. There are 0 deaths directly related to marijuana (the plant it self not modified in any way). Barack Obama smoked weed almost everyday throughout high school and college and who is he today? The president of the United states. So next time hold your fucking tongue before u say weed is a mistake you incompetent child. By the way please pay attention in class because your spelling is terrible. (I take that back if you are mentally retarded or have down syndrome or some kind of learning disability)

really I never understood what is so bad about smoking cannabis. people kill themselves drinking alcohol and smoking thousands at a time per day. cannabis does no proven damage to anyone and shouldn't be up to anyone to deny people the right to consume the herb I mean even if it isn't medical who cares it just cools your nerves and makes life slower why is that such a crime? I don't understand the world.

Why should it matter what justin bieber does with his life. Worry about yourself instead.How does it help you if he does stop..or why is it effecting you if does.most of his fan are fans of what he has done in the past. You just don't know behind closed doors what kind of person he is. When you guys fell in love with him he probably secretly was smoking all along and you just now hear about it then you freak..like shut up and leave him alone